Apparatus for plating and coating

Abstract

Method and apparatus for the coating of a substrate wherein the following chronologically takes place under vacuum conditions: (i) non-oxidized plating material is deposited on the substrate via ion vapor deposition; and (ii) a coating material is chemically bonded with the non-oxidized plating material. The coating material may comprise a primer, which chemically bonds with the non-oxidized plating material, and a polymer, which impregnates the primer-prepared plating material. Said polymer may also chemically bond with the primer. Alternatively, the coating material may comprise an epoxy which forms an organo-metallic bond with the plating material. In another embodiment of the invention, the coating material may comprise boron trifluoride, which chemically bonds with the non-oxidized plating material, and a polymer, which impregnates the boron trifluoride-prepared plating material. Alternatively, the coating material may comprise calcium, silicon, and oxygen which chemically bonds with the plating material. The coating material may be bifunctional, in that it not only chemically bonds with the plating material but also bonds with a second coating material, yielding a chemically bonded uniform coating with desired results.

The invention is claimed as follows: 
     
       1. An apparatus for producing a coated article comprising a first vacuum chamber for applying a layer of non-oxidized metal plating material to the article while maintaining the plated article in an atmosphere preventing oxidation of the plating material and a second vacuum chamber adjacent said first vacuum chamber for applying a layer of a coating material in liquid form to said plating material while maintaining the plated articles in an inert atmosphere, and means for preventing said coating material from entering said first vacuum chamber. 
     
     
       2. An apparatus, as defined in claim 1, wherein said first vacuum chamber comprises vacuum ion vapor deposition means, said second vacuum chamber maintaining said articles under a vacuum and in an inert atmosphere and separate from said first chamber until the coating material has been applied and chemically bonded to the plating material. 
     
     
       3. An apparatus, as defined in claim 2, which includes means for applying a primer material chemically bondable with the plating material to the articles in said vacuum means, a third vacuum chamber for receiving articles from said second vacuum chamber, and means for applying a polymer coating material to primed articles in said third vacuum chamber. 
     
     
       4. An apparatus, as defined in claim 3, which includes means between said second and third mentioned vacuum chambers for removing any excess primer from the articles. 
     
     
       5. An apparatus, as defined in claim 3, which includes means for receiving articles from said third vacuum chamber and for curing the polymer coating material applied to the articles.